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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ground — a position
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com